The Thirteenth
by Cipher-of-Will
Summary: In a world where people are hunted for being what they are, Roxas and the mysterious Organization XIII fight for survival and for the justice of their people. But is justice really what they're after? Just give it a try and be pleasantly surprised...
1. Chapter 1

**Ugh, I promised myself I wouldn't do this but it seems a shame to let it go to waste. I may not carry this on but here's something that got neglected. If a lot of people review I might consider carrying it on. **

**Note: Ophiuchus is pronounced Oh-fee-you-cous (as is couscous but only once lol)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. **

Prologue

In your world, you know there to be twelve star signs:

Sagittarius, The Archer

Capricorn, The Goat

Pisces, The Two Fish

Aries, The Ram

Taurus, The Bull

Gemini, The Twins

Cancer, The Crab

Leo, The Lion

Virgo, The Virgin

Libra, The Scales

Scorpio, The Scorpion

Aquarius, The Water Carrier

Few people know that there was once a thirteenth Zodiac, Ophiuchus, The Snake Bearer. It was discarded from your world which left you with the twelve others.

In my world the thirteenth sign was never dismissed. For a while everything was normal; people were unsure whether their Zodiac really affected their daily lives.

Then, it happened. Ansem, an Ophiuchi astrologer, used his Zodiac to gain power. It was a dark power and it spread to everyone and anyone who was, and would ever be, born to be an Ophiuchus. The type of powers people gained were all different but they were all seen as a symbol of evil. Ophiuchi were hunted and killed for what they were. The world's goal is to eliminate anyone who is born an Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Zodiac.

Astrology became more important and people lived up to the stereotypes of their star sign.

Had Roxas not been born two days late, he would not have been under the Ophiuchus star sign. He would not have been abandoned and left to fend to fend for himself. 


	2. Chapter 2

Roxas shivered as the rain pelted against his bare face and arms. He curled in deeper to himself, searching for any part of his body that contained heat. The half moon illuminated the streets. The rain fell to make great puddles in the many potholes of the unkempt road.

The shouts of the Searchers could be heard above the rainfall. Roxas shifted behind the discarded billboard that was his hiding place for now. He could have run but he feared making too much noise. If the Searchers found him it would undoubtedly lead to a full-on chase and Roxas didn't have the strength to outrun them all.

From the shouts he concluded there were at least seven men. Their deep voices gave him the image that they were all big and burly. If he was caught by one of these men, his life would be over. The ten years he had been hiding and running would have been for nothing.

Ever since he had been abandoned at the mere age of four, Roxas had learnt a lot about life, the main lesson being that it was unfair. It wasn't fair that he was hated for what he was or that he was born two days late which had made him what he was. Roxas had sometimes liked to think he was special instead of a freak but in the end he knew society would never think the same way.

Roxas, like every Ophiuchus since Ansem, had been born with a power. It was a power everyone feared, even him, sometimes. Roxas did not yet know the full extent of his power over Light; he knew he could feel and control the Light in people's hearts, he knew he could sometimes heal people and he knew he could control the brightness of a light, but that was hard to do.

Roxas thought that his power to be able to heal people would have made him different from other Ophiuchi but he couldn't have been more wrong.

His power over the Light made him a huge threat; if he wanted to he could reduce the amount of Light in people's hearts to it's minimal amount and let Darkness take over the world. He was instantly called a demon, another link back to Ansem and automatically turned into a criminal, despite his crime-free life. It didn't matter how young he was, he was an Ophiuchus and was all that mattered to the world.

Roxas tensed as the shouting came closer to him. He tried to discern what they were saying but he couldn't distinguish much over the roar of the rain. He could hear the scraps of metal and old wooden crates he knew were just around the corner from him being tossed around. His breathing accelerated.

He knew it was too late to move now; the Searchers were close enough that they would be able to see him from the glow of their torches. Roxas made himself as small as possible and prayed that they didn't search behind the large billboard that was haphazardly propped against the wall of a building.

The stomping footsteps of the Searchers could now be heard and Roxas could see the light of their torches sweeping back and forth. He was as still as a statue. He dared not breathe as one set of heavy footsteps walked right past the billboard. Roxas readied himself to run. He knew in his heart they would not be as stupid as not to think to peer into the little triangle that Roxas had squeezed himself through to hide behind the billboard. He wondered if they had guns or any other weapons. If they did he would have to do the thing he hated doing the most.

He didn't blink as he fearfully watched the little triangular opening to his right, ready to launch himself out of there as soon as he saw someone appear.

"Check behind there," a deep voice instructed. Roxas knew it belonged to the man that had just walked past. His hands shook with the adrenaline as he prepared for what was to come.

A pair or large leather boots presented themselves at the opening. Before the owner of the boots had time to bend down to peer into the gap between the wall and abandoned billboard Roxas shot out and barrelled over the man. He fell with a loud cry, alerting the other men.

Roxas saw the silhouettes of the men behind their torches as they charged towards him. Roxas concentrated and in no less than a second the men all fell to the ground, clutching their chests in pain. Roxas wasted no time and sprinted past them, not knowing there was another man watching from behind a large bit of debris with interested green eyes.

Roxas didn't think about where he was going, just that he needed to get away. Soon enough the Light he had diminished in the men's hearts would be restored and they would be after him.

He ducked into the first alley he found and manoeuvred his way through the rubbish. The rain stung his sensitive skin but he paid it no mind, looking out for any people that might be lurking in the alley. He crouched behind a silver dustbin, catching his breath and not able to run much more. The sound of his stomach growling reminded him that he hadn't eaten in days.

He ran a hand through his soaking blonde hair. The rain had made it flatter than it usually was; normally it would spike up in all directions. Roxas raised his head so he could look above the dustbin and guard the alley way entrance.

After a while, he turned away from the entrance and stared at his hands. He wanted to sleep but if he did, he would probably wake up with a cold, or worse, captured. Even if he did try to sleep, the sound of the rain battering against the ground would not help him drift off.

So he did one of the things he liked to do: he remembered. His good memories provided him with comfort. Even though there were few, they were the best he had. None were of his parents; he could barely remember their faces or their voices.

Roxas thought about the group of Ophiuchi he had luckily stumbled upon when he was first cast out by his parents. At four years old, he wouldn't have lasted more than a day but the small group of Ophiuchi took care of him and shared their meagre shelter with him. They had taught him how to survive and for two years, they were his family.

Roxas looked fondly at the black and white checked wristband on his left wrist. Nina, the woman who had looked after him the most, had given it to him on his sixth birthday. Roxas had always worn it ever since. He winced as he thought about what happened to the group of Ophiuchi he had taken refuge with.

One day, he had gone to scrounge for any scraps of food that might be lying around. When he returned to the temporary campsite, no one was there. They had most likely been caught by the Searchers but he still liked to think they escaped and were still alive. It was a grim world for Ophiuchi; spend your life as an outcast, a criminal or face the death penalty.

Roxas decided it couldn't hurt to close his eyes for a minute or two but no sooner than he had closed them they snapped open. Roxas listened as the footsteps walked down the alley, closer and closer to where he was hiding. He sat still, quickly weighing up the odds that they were fellow Ophiuchi.

It was 50/50. An alley was the perfect place for Ophiuchi to hide with all the discarded items but it was well known by Searchers that Ophiuchi hid in alleys.

Tired of running, he decided to take a chance that they were Ophiuchi or uninterested by-passers. There was also a chance they wouldn't see him and if he ran, they would instantly know what he was; Ophiuchi and criminals were the only ones who had a reason to run.

He held his breath as they got closer and prayed again, to the God he didn't believe in, that they would just keep on walking.

The two men walked noisily past, neither seeing him. Roxas thought he was in the clear until one of the men stopped walking and glanced back, his eyes landing right on Roxas.

"Ahh, Al, look what I found!" he shouted.

For a second, Roxas couldn't move and that was all it took. He tried to scramble away but the man had hold of his tattered old jacket and hauled him back. He felt a pair or arms wrap around his stomach, effectively pinning his arms and he was pulled against a large body. Roxas knew better than to scream; why attract more unwanted attention?

He squirmed uselessly in the man's grip and looked up fearfully at the other man, Al, who was lazily walking towards him. He had a look on his face Roxas didn't like; the look of a predator regarding its prey. He continued to struggle but it only caused the grip around him to tighten.

"I bet he's an Ophiuchus," the man holding Roxas said as Al took Roxas' chin in his hands and turned his face from side to side.

Roxas knew he was trying to see if he was an Ophiuchus at the top of the wanted list. There were some notorious Ophiuchi that had large bounties on their heads for causing chaos with their powers.

Roxas tried to concentrate and diminish the Light in these two men's hearts but he was so afraid the thought was barely registered. He just kept battling against the pair of tree trunk like arms that held him.

Al let go of his chin and sighed disappointedly.

"I don't recognise this one but I bet them Searchers would still pay good money for him."

"We can make up a story to make him seem more dangerous so they pay more."

The guy holding Roxas jolted him a bit as he asked if he was an Ophiuchus. Roxas didn't reply; he still couldn't think of a course of action and or stop his heart pounding in his chest.

Al took his chin again and asked with an exaggerated slowness,

"Are you an Ophiuchus?"

Roxas replied by jerking his chin out of the man's grasp and sinking his teeth into Al's hand. He screamed and tore his hand out of Roxas' mouth. He watched in horror as his blood trickled down the struggling boy's chin and dripped onto the wet ground.

With a shout of rage he raised his unbitten left hand backhanded him across his face. Roxas gasped from the blow and his whole body swayed slightly to the right from the force. The arms still wrapped around his torso stopped his from collapsing completely. He squeezed his eyes shut as he watched the man raised his fist high in the air, preparing to repeat the action.

There was a scream but it was not his own. Roxas' eyes flew open.

Al's hand was still high up in the air with an orange glow emitting from it. Roxas' eyes widened when he saw that the orange glow was fire.

Al frantically waved his burning hand around, his eyes wide and unblinking and screams constantly pouring from his mouth. The man that was holding Roxas pushed him away and hightailed back down the alley, leaving his friend behind. He barely made it halfway before his body was set alight.

Roxas stumbled and fell to the ground, not knowing where to look. All he could hear were the shrieks of the burning men. Al let out shriek of agony as the fire completely engulfed his entire body. Roxas could not look away as his body blackened and turned to ash. The screaming abruptly stopped, only leaving the sound of Roxas' harsh, panicked breaths.

He looked around wildly, wondering what had caused the two men to suddenly catch fire. Furthermore, why had he been spared?

Roxas listened to the horrific way the rain hissed as it hit the still smouldering ashes of the two men.

He didn't realize another man had been walking towards him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Roxas flinched away from it and turned around to see a stranger wearing a long black cloak with the wildest red hair he had ever seen. His eyes sparkled like emerald jewels and his pale skin pronounced the two upside down tear drop tattoos underneath each eye.

"Are you alright?" he asked Roxas hurriedly. Roxas nodded, bewildered by what had just happened.

"Can you stand?" he asked. Roxas shakily got to his feet in reply and stood, quivering in front of the stranger.

"We need to get going. The Searchers probably heard their screaming. Follow me," the red head commanded and set off at a quick stride further into the alley.

Roxas followed him immediately, not wanting to wait around for the Searchers to find him. He struggled to keep up with the stranger's long, quick strides and was almost running to keep up.

A grimace found its way to his face as the headache formed, due to his lack of food, rest and warmth. It was becoming increasingly harder to fight against the hits of raindrops against his entire body and the harsh wind that whipped his bare face. He started to fall behind the red head and he couldn't find his voice to tell him to slow up.

The red head glanced back at the little blonde boy and saw he was trailing more than five metres behind him. He walked over to the boy and grabbed his arm, forcing him to walk faster with him. He couldn't let the boy get captured by the Searchers, it was bad enough he had to kill those other two men.

The blonde was shivering and walking stiffly, like his legs were coated in ice. It was no wonder really, as it was a cold, rainy night and all he was wearing were a pair of loose trousers, a t-shirt and a short sleeved jacket, all looking like they had seen better days.

The stranger stopped walking for a moment to take off his leather coat and drape it around the poor boys shoulders. He was a lot shorter than him so it dragged on the floor behind the blonde but in perspective it didn't really matter.

Roxas was grateful for the extra layer and found himself starting to trust this man. It was foolish to trust someone before you already knew them, especially in his position but Roxas' exhausted mind couldn't think rationally at that moment. All that mattered was that he was slightly warmer now.

The stranger came to an empty roadside and squinted through the rain, looking for any sign of a black car. He didn't want to have to stand still in the rain for too long, not with the blonde looking like he was about to pass out at any moment. Not to mention he had given up his leather coat which left him in his black t-shirt. He could have made a fire but the light source would only attract more Searchers.

The red head growled irritably and pulled out a battered old mobile phone with one hand while keeping his grip on the kid's arm in his other.

He punched a quick text and slipped the phone back into his jeans pocket. He looked down at the boy who was still shaking, despite the extra layer of the leather coat. The boy was just staring forward like it was all he could do to stay awake.

A few minutes later a sleek black car **[1]** pulled up in front of the trembling pair to which the red head responded to with a grunt of approval. He opened the black door and pushed the blonde inside and ran round to the other side of the car to get in the front passenger seat.

The driver, a man with neatly cropped white-blonde hair looked between the man and the boy.

"Blimey, you look like a pair of drowned rats."

"Just drive," the red head sighed and the driver obeyed.

Both Roxas and the man were glad for the shelter and heat of the car. A little voice in the back of Roxas' mind was warning him that these people might be a danger to him but he found it hard to agree or act on that thought. He was out of the rain and in a comfy seat which was the best circumstances he'd had in days.

The warm air of the heater and the cushioned seat quickly lulled Roxas into a peaceful sleep, with the hum of the engine as the only sound.

The red headed man in the front glanced behind him at the sleeping boy. Even with his dripping hair and ragged clothes, he looked positively angelic. The stranger couldn't think but of how cute he looked.

**[1]** **My knowledge of cars is pretty much non-existent so I can't really give any better description that 'a black car'.**

**If you want me to continue, please leave a review and tell me how you think it is. No reviews = no story!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Cipher. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, people actually like this!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and since I couldn't send anyone private replies I'll do it here:**

**classified (JJ): Thank you so much! Your support has been crucial for me continuing this. **

**RhapsodyOfTheShadows: It makes me so happy to know you like my style; it's something I'm really insecure about.**

**Ann-On-Emus: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.**

**wolfie spirit: Haha, it's good my story had that effect on you. Thank you so much, I'll do my best.**

**Guest: I stumbled across an article a while back about how horoscopes can't be accurate because there's meant to be 13 star signs. There was a bit about the 13****th**** zodiac, Ophiuchus, as well. Being the Kingdom Hearts obsessed person I am, I thought about relating the idea to Kingdom Hearts. The symbol of Ophiuchus is the snake bearer and I thought that as snakes are largely pronounced as a symbol of evil in a lot of myths that this thirteenth zodiac could be evil or misunderstood.**

**If you look up the 'thirteenth zodiac' on the internet there are some sites about it. Also, a quick note on the dates that thirteen zodiacs would revolve around from the Official Calendar I found:**

**Star Sign (Constellation)...Date**

**Sagittarius...Dec 18 - Jan 18**

**Capricorn...Jan 19 - Feb 15**

**Aquarius...Feb 16 - Mar 11 **

**Pisces...Mar 12 - Apr 18 **

**Aries...Apr 19 - May 13 **

**Taurus...May 14 - Jun 19**

**Gemini...Jun 20 - Jul 20**

**Cancer...Jul 21 - Aug 09**

**Leo...Aug 10 - Sep 15**

**Virgo...Sep 16 - Oct 30**

**Libra...Oct 31 - Nov 22**

**Scorpius...Nov 23 - Nov 29**

**Ophiuchus...Nov 30 - Dec 17**

**Haha, I would be an Ophiuchus if we went by this Zodiac chart, who else would be? And whose star sign changes according to this chart? Because I'm actually Sagittarius in the Zodiac chart with twelve signs. Yay, centaurs!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Zodiac idea is mine so no touchy! **

Roxas woke up in a room that was both strange and comfortable. The bed he was in was beyond the luxury he had ever had the luck to experience. The dark green blanket fed his body warmth and his aching limbs seemed to mould into one with the soft mattress. It was heavenly.

The room itself was obviously set up to be a guest room, with plain furniture and minimal decoration. Cream walls stared back at Roxas, completely unadorned save for an oil painting on the wall to Roxas' right. He looked at the emerald serpent, baring its fangs in a majestic display of superiority. Its black eyes sparkled and held Roxas' gaze.

His attention was torn when he heard footsteps approaching. He buried his head partially under the covers and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. The footsteps got closer, rhythmic tapping like the steady drip of water. They passed, the tapping fading away into the distance. Roxas sat back up and thought back to the events of the night before. The mysterious man with the red hair and green eyes. Why had he bothered to help him?

The only conclusion Roxas could draw was that he was a fellow Ophiuchus. That should have been enough to sooth his frazzling nerves but wariness still overcame him. He had heard, from little snippets of conversation, that some Ophiuchi had been bribed to hunt out and hand over their kin to the Searchers. From there, it would be a one-way ticket to the guillotines. It was barbaric, that they would make people partake in medieval instruments of death. Any other prisoners with the death sentence died peacefully, by lethal injection.

Apparently Ophiuchi would not have such luxuries 'wasted' on them. The guillotines were also apart of 'tradition'; the first Ophiuchi to have been captured and killed had his head severed by the cruel blade of the guillotine. And so would every one of his brethren.

Roxas did not want to meet his end, not before he was able to try and live a little. The fifteen years of his life had been spent darting from place to place, meeting few friends. It had been a miserable existence.

More footsteps were approaching, this set lighter than the ones before and faster too. Roxas quickly put down his head and shut his eyes just as the door swung open and someone came in. He tried to steady is breathing but the horrid thought that this person was an enemy made it nearly impossible to do so.

He felt someone gently sit on the lower right of the bed, barely shifting the mattress. The person touched his shoulder and Roxas' thinning nerves snapped like a dry twig. Almost on instinct, he lashed out at the person, landing his foot in their stomach. He scrambled out of bed and rushed for the door, not even sparing glance at the person he had just injured. The door was wrenched open and Roxas was out like a shot, charging down the hallway.

Roxas weaved through the corridors, not having a clue as to where he was going or if he was getting himself lost in the maze of hallways. He glanced behind him to check he wasn't being followed. As soon as he did, he collided with something – someone – and almost fell backwards. The person grabbed onto his upper arm to halt his fall but to Roxas' mind, fully on survival instinct, the hand was a capturing device.

He tried to wrench his arm out of the person's grip but they held on tight. His panicked mind commanded his arm to twist and pull against the hand but he realised this person he had run in to was absolutely _huge_. Roxas briefly looked up into his face, seeing short red hair and pale blue eyes. His neck was like thick roped muscle and his arms like tree trunks.

He was much bigger and stronger than he was, Roxas knew. Vainly, he pulled again and again, trying to free himself. He gave a little cry as with each pull his arm started to burn and bruise in the tightening grip. In his inner eye, Roxas was seeing the guillotine looming up ahead, the slanted silver blade winking at him, mocking him. This man would undoubtedly hand him over to the Authority, to his death.

Roxas, unable to bear the strain of his left arm any longer, gave up his physical resistance and looked pleadingly up into the stormy eyes of the giant. _Please, let me go. _He stared back, his expression unreadable. Roxas gave a final yank on his arm and then he was being dragged down the corridors. He dug in his heels, pulled against the man and clawed at his gloved hand with his free arm, trying to dislodge the firm grip of his fingers that wound around his thin arm.

He even tried biting the man at one point, but he didn't even seem to register any pain as Roxas fiercely bit down on the man's wrist. The giant kept on walking, his long black coat flapping behind him as he walked briskly through the halls. Roxas was too busy trying to escape that he didn't take note of how most of the halls were decorated with anything that resembled a snake. Little snake ornaments sat on little tables, framed pictures of snakes hung on the walls and even a snake's shed skin sat like a prized trophy on a high shelf in a glass box.

At last the giant threw open the door to a kitchen. It was plain looking and quite modest compared to other parts of the building. The man stomped over to the immense table at the end of the room, out of the way of the kitchen, and pushed Roxas into one of the chairs. In a deep voice to match his size he said two words:

"Don't run," and finally let go of Roxas. Despite what he said, Roxas was about to try and escape when the giant fixed him to the spot with a firm glare. Roxas took a look at the man's huge arms that could break his arms – or any bone in his body – with as much as much ease as Roxas snapping a toothpick in half. He decided it might be in his best interest to obey, at least for now.

The giant moved into the kitchen area and Roxas couldn't help a little guilt seep into his bones as he watched the man turn on the taps and run his wrist, the one Roxas had bitten, under cold water. He had his back to Roxas so he didn't see the large man wince as the water fell over the little punctures in his skin. It was surprisingly painful.

Roxas took the time to realise he was still in his clothes from before but it looked like someone had washed some of the grime and filth from his body. He also realised he could diminish the light in the giant's heart and make a run for it but something in him told him not to. He should wait for now.

The kitchen door opened, making Roxas jump a little, and a man with blue hair that spilled over the right side of his face entered. He spared a look at Roxas but quickly went to join the red haired giant. The blue haired man was very short, Roxas realised, as he stood beside the giant and exchanged some whispers with him. He couldn't have been much older than Roxas; seventeen, he guessed.

The pair moved over to the table and sat a couple of seats away from Roxas. In a smooth voice, the blue haired one spoke.

"Excuse me for not introducing myself, I am Zexion, and this," he gestured to the red haired man, "is Lexaeus."

"I apologise if I hurt you," Lexaeus said, looking pointedly at where he had gripped Roxas' upper left arm. His arm did hurt, immensely. Roxas unconsciously clutched at it but shook his head nonetheless. Together the three of them sat, in perfect, peaceful silence.

Then the kitchen door clattered open again and the man with wild red spikes adorning his head stormed through. He was holding his stomach, the way Roxas was holding his throbbing arm, and angrily looked about the room.

"That little brat," he spat, poised to pounce like a feral animal. His lime-green eyes landed on Roxas and his snarl deepened. He started towards him, bearing down on him. With a start Roxas realised he must have been the man he kicked and was the one that had saved him the night before. Just like Lexaeus and Zexion, he wore a long black coat.

Roxas looked helplessly towards the door, knowing he wouldn't be able to skirt round the man fast enough to get there. He must have made some small noise in the back of his throat, a whimper. Lexaeus glanced at him and then back at the advancing man. Calmly, he put himself between the fuming redhead and Roxas, much to the dislike of the crazed man.

After a lot of glaring between Lexaeus and the man, Zexion broke in, speaking smoothly.

"What can we help you with, Axel?" Axel looked pointedly and venomously at Roxas as he spoke.

"That little punk kicked me! Hard!" Lexaeus stood with his massive arms folded, refusing to let Axel around him. It was clear to everyone that the only thing Axel wanted right now was revenge. Roxas felt his survival mode kicking back in. It was high time he got out of here. With three people in the room he probably wouldn't make it very far until one of them caught him. He needed a head start.

He slowly drew in a breath, getting ready to diminish the light in the men's hearts. It was a low blow, but it had to be done to ensure his safety. He let the power surface inside him, holding onto it, like holding back a dog that want to fetch a stick. He would wait a few moments longer, see what happened next.

Zexion had planted himself beside Lexaeus, making a sort of barrier between Axel and Roxas. His meagre height and slim build would not do much in a physical fight but Axel knew of the power he held within.

Still, that did not stop his crazed lust to avenge his sore ribcage. Especially since the blow had come from someone whose life he had saved only hours ago. Axel wouldn't do any real damage to the miserable little creature, just pay him back. An eye for an eye.

He wouldn't let the others know that just yet though.

"Step aside, Lexaeus," Axel commanded, his gaze almost acidic. Lexaeus shook his head and stayed silent. Zexion tried to resolve the situation peacefully but to avail.

"Axel, please be reasonable. Just let it go; the boy meant no real harm, I'm sure."

"That's not the point!" Axel, much like Roxas, had been holding the power inside him, ready at a moment's notice to unleash it. Fire burst into life on Lexaeus' right arm. His calm demeanour shattered and he let out a piercing howl, but not before sending a jagged rock shard flying towards Axel. Zexion quickly put out the flames with a quick water spell, soaking the giant in the process.

Axel was preparing to set them both on fire, flames crackling at his fingertips, when Roxas let his own power shoot forth, extinguishing the light in the men's hearts. They all bore horribly pained expressions and sank to the ground, as if fatally injured. They grappled at their chests, sucking in huge gasps of air. Roxas felt hideous for doing it but wasted no time. He sprang out of the chair and was out the door.

Déjà vu swallowed him as he ran through the corridors again, unsure of where he was going. He quickly tired, realising he had not eaten much since yesterday morning, and that had only been scraps he'd found in a rubbish bin.

He came to a set of stairs and galloped down them, relieved at being on the ground floor and therefore closer to an exit. On the bottom step he crashed into someone _again_. He sent them both spiralling to the floor. He rolled off the person but, like before, they clung on. Roxas winced as his already aching arm was grabbed again.

Vaguely, he noted that this person was a lot smaller than Lexaeus had been. Roxas tried to wriggle out of the grip, shutting his eyes against the blossoming pain.

"No, no it's okay, man," the person told him. Roxas sincerely doubted that and struggled harder. They held on just as tightly.

"You're that kid Axel brought in last night? It's okay, you're safe here. We're all Ophiuchi, like you, right?" That made Roxas halt his attempt at escape. Slowly, he turned to actually looked at just who was holding him.

It was a skinny man, no older than 20, with sea-green eyes and a somehow stylish mullet perched on his head. Stray wisps of hair dangled in his pale face. His eyes were friendly and held no trace of a lie or deception.

Roxas relaxed a little and the man let go.

"Who are you?" he asked the man.

He stood up and reached down to pull Roxas up as well. He jabbed a finger at himself and said,

"I'm Demyx. Resident water controller and slacker! What's your name, man?"

Hesitantly Roxas replied.

"Roxas."

"Awesome. Hey, is it true you can mess with people's hearts?" Demyx asked excitedly, happy at the prospect of possibly finding a new friend.

"Uh, sort of," Roxas said, trying not to give out as little details as he could. He still didn't know what these strange people in black were after.

"Sweet! I tell ya, Xemnas is gonna freak-"

"Who's Xemnas?" Roxas interrupted.

"Oh, he's our leader. The Boss man. Anyway, I'll take you to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up. You look like you could use a shower."

Roxas dumbly followed Demyx back through the corridors, utterly confused at himself. Moments ago he was trying to escape and now he was heading back into the lair? His foggy mind was focused on the prospect of a warm shower, a privilege he had long dreamt of. For years his only source of hygiene was from the rain and freezing streams when he ventured out into woodland.

Demyx showed him one of the many bathrooms the building apparently had. He told him to take his time and he would return for him in an hour.

The shower was the best thing Roxas had experienced in a long while, besides the bed he had woken up in, which had also been amazing. He let the steaming water fall down his back and gratefully washed the dirt from his body with the provided lemon soap. The water was almost too good to be true and Roxas felt reluctant to leave the shower and have to redress in his rags.

Still he put the layers on and unlocked the door to the bathroom. He was about to step out when he noticed a pile of neatly folded clothes on the floor. Roxas picked them up and looked both ways down the hall. Were they for him?

The top looked a bit too big and the jeans too long. Roxas figured they must have been left there for him and changed out of his ragged clothes and put on the new cleans ones. The blue sleeves of the top had to be rolled back and so did the legs of the jeans. In the pile there had also been a pair of socks which he slipped onto his feet.

Stepping back into his worn shoes, Roxas left his other clothes in the corner of the bathroom, unsure of what else to do with them. He shut the door of the bathroom behind him and waited in the hallway for Demyx.

Roxas took this time to contemplate the whirl of events that had overcome him in the past 24 hours. Demyx had said 'we're all Ophiuchi.' Did that mean Lexaeus, Zexion and Axel were Ophiuchi too? He thought back to the fight in the kitchen. Only Ophiuchi could have powers like that. Axel had made flames last night in the alley and today fire had erupted on Lexaeus' arm.

The giant of a man must have had some sort of earth-power with the way a huge rock had appeared. And Zexion, was he a water master? From the fight, Roxas knew he was dealing with some very dangerous people. Some Ophiuchi had powers that were docile, like the ability to make people's eyes change colour.

They were no real threat and couldn't cause anyone harm. The residents of this building were toxic in comparison. Roxas had seen those two men reduced to ash by Axel's fire, who had nearly been speared by the rock created by Lexaeus. Zexion, if his power was water based, could easily drown people or maybe even mess with people's drinking water.

It was frightening, the possibilities. In a horrid way, it made Roxas realise why people must hate them so much. Ophiuchi were a wild card, not to be trusted lest they do anything rash. He scowled at the wall opposite him, a sketch of a snake glaring back, thinking how unfair it was. November the 30th, the date that had cursed him. If he had been born the day before, he would be a Scorpius, typically secretive, passionate and a little selfish.

An Ophiuchi was typically wise, flamboyant, quiet and attracted jealousy. The Authority had released false information on the typical personalities of Ophiuchi: apparently they were cruel, cunning, deceptive, deadly and had no sense of compassion or mercy. It wasn't true but it was what people believed. And whatever people believe is what's right.

"Oh, you're done?" Demyx asked, walking up the corridor. Roxas shook himself from his thoughts, cursing himself for getting distracted. He should have been debating his next course of action, not idle philosophy.

He scrutinised Demyx's amiable composure, searching for a trace of betrayal or lies. The mullet-headed man either missed or ignored Roxas' dark look as he drew closer to him, already talking a mile a minute.

"Apparently there was a bit of a spat in the kitchen. Sorry you had to see that, it's not usually like that 'round here. Oh yeah! You kicked Axel in the gut, right? I take my metaphorical hat off to you, dude, that is one heck of an accomplishment! Anyway, things have cooled down now and you can come and meet everyone-"

Demyx took hold of Roxas' wrist and proceeded to drag him down the hallways, still talking, while Roxas tried to catch up with the overdose of information. Meet everyone? There were more people?

A big group could be dangerous, especially if they were planning on turning him in; he'd be outnumbered and most likely the weakest of the group. Then again, there was safety in numbers, but why risk such a large gathering?

Demyx glanced over his shoulder and caught the mixed mess of anxiety and happiness on Roxas' face. He assumed Roxas was nervous about meeting new people; weren't all Ophiuchi? Everyone was a threat.

"Don't worry, everyone is super nice, except maybe Larxene and Vexen, but screw them, and we're all on the same team. No one's gonna rat you out, so don't sweat it."

Roxas was a little unnerved at how Demyx seemed to know exactly what he'd been thinking. He seriously hoped he wasn't so easy to read; it made lying all the more difficult. A commotion of voices sifted through the air, past Demyx's never-ending tirade of speech that nearly made Roxas' heart stop.

There were too many voices. He'd been expecting maybe six people in total within the group but it sounded like a lot more people than six were in the room ahead. He knew it was too good to be true. There were Searchers ahead or some sort of Authority or maybe he was going to be publicly executed in front of specially invited guests!

The thought wrapped his bones in ice and stilled him into dumbly getting dragged along by Demyx. This was it. He was going to die.

Demyx pushed open a door at the end of a sparsely decorated hallway and pulled Roxas through. Instantly, he scanned the room, taking in the details with quick, darting eyes.

There were ten people in the room, twelve if he included himself and Demyx. This room seemed like a living room, with dark green sofas pushed up against the walls and coffee tables in front of them. There was a bookcase hidden in a corner which Zexion was sitting close to, carefully holding one of the books in his lap, entirely focused on it.

Little house plants were dotted about the room, some plain with regular green leaves and tiny pinprick flowers, others exotic with bright twisting flowers and stems curving like elaborate staircases. Roxas was sure he spotted a Venus Fly Trap wedged into the corner of the room.

Past all the little objects and milling people, Roxas could see that the wide, gaping windows were the pride of the room. It was a dark day, grey clouds draping over one another, spitting rain onto the windows and ground below. Roxas could tell they were probably one at least the first floor **[1], **if not higher.

Roxas blanched when bright red hair flickered at the corner of his eye. Axel was here. And possibly still intent on harming him for the kick in the gut. Luckily the red head was too busy arguing with a blonde woman – the only woman in the room, Roxas noticed – to actually see his and Demyx's arrival.

Several of the others not entrapped in vicious quarrels did look up and latch their piercing gazes onto the newcomer. Roxas belatedly realised these people might consider him a threat as much as he considered them one. They were all opponents in the same game.

"Well, well, who's this?" a hoarse voice drawled. Demyx waved excitedly at the eye-patched and scarred man sauntering towards them, a crooked grin lazily held in place. Grey streaked through his otherwise black hair, all held together in a low ponytail. Despite the nerve-wracking situation, Roxas could only think 'Pirate' as this man approached.

He looked dangerous, like a predator, like a cat, with his one focused eye and soundless steps. Roxas was feeling more and more like a dumb prey hoping if it stayed still long enough it could somehow go undetected, even when it was clear it had already been spotted.

The third impression Roxas got of this man, the first being a Pirate and second being a cat, was that he was one of those people who completely ignored any ounce of the term 'personal space'. He pressed his marred face close in to Roxas', his critical eye looking over every inch of him. Demyx didn't seem to think personal space was important either as he was still holding Roxas' arm and began ruffling his hair as he introduced them.

"Xiggy, my man! This is Roxas, the new guy, I think. Well I hope he's the new guy 'cause him and me are gonna be best pals!" he exclaimed, finally relenting on the abuse of Roxas' head.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" 'Xiggy' said, frowning a little. It was no good to tease the new guy if he wasn't going to react. " Can you talk?" he asked with a smirk and his hand shot out to grab Roxas' chin. Roxas suddenly saw the man from last night, Al, in his face, trying to see if he was going to be worth anything to the two bounty hunters. Al and this 'Xiggy' looked nothing alike but the action was all too familiar.

Roxas's hand made a wide, sweeping arc, pushing 'Xiggy's' hand off him and even making him stumble away a little.

"Yes, I can talk," Roxas said dangerously. He let his blue eyes bore into the other man's one yellow one, daring him to touch him again.

"Whoa, watch out Xigbar!" Demyx laughed, amused at seeing the self-proclaimed 'Almighty Freeshooter' get slapped about by a little kid. For a moment Roxas was worried he'd taken it too far but Xigbar just grinned and sauntered away, thinking how he'd definitely have fun messing with a kid with _that_ kind of glare.

The room continued to buzz with chatter as Demyx then wandered over somewhere else, still dragging Roxas along like a toy. Roxas finally turned his gaze away from Xigbar's retreating back to see who they were heading to now.

He really wished he'd looked sooner.

Roxas tugged against Demyx's oblivious grip but Axel was already looking up, his green eyes zoning in on him. He still looked pissed.

_Crap._

**Okayyyyyy, so I finally released this. Aren't you proud of me? Please review! Like I said, no reviews = no story! I just want to know that people are reading it, if they like it and are interested in what happens next. I know this chapter is a bit boring but more exciting stuff should come next chapter!**

**So review!**

**[1] This is how I grade floors: Ground floor – the lowest floor**

**First floor – the floor after the first set of stairs**

**Second floor- the floor after the second set of stairs and so on. **

**About the characteristics: After looking through a load of sites, I discovered there are so many qualities of Ophiuchi and some are totally contradictory. **

**For now I'm just going to say that anyone under a star sign could acquire any typical quality. One Ophiuchi might be very flamboyant and fun while another might be quiet and wise. Both are typical attributes but I figure one person can't really be flamboyant as well as quiet :/**

**Hopefully this wasn't an utter disappointment and people are sated with what I have written. Just a mention that City of Smoke is now discontinued but up for adoption. I am willing to give out the story to multiple persons if they are happy with that arrangement.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Cipher. **


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